George Chelovitz

George Chelovitz passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 21, 2023, at the age of 101. A resident of Fountain Hills, Ariz., George was born in the family home, 1284 Grant Street, Akron, Ohio, on May 29, 1922, the son of Milos and Josephine (Fihn) Chelovitz. During his youth he played the accordion, sang in the St. Demetrius Serbian Orthodox Church Choir and played football at Copley High School. He graduated from Copley High School in 1940. After graduation he attended the Goodyear Aviation Mechanics Apprentice school.

George enlisted in the Navy, July 1942. He served as an aviation mechanic at the Natal, Brazil Naval Air Base until his discharge in 1945. He attended Bradley University, studying Landscape Architecture until he joined the Ohio Edison Engineering Department.

He married Phyllis Mae Sondles Jan. 20, 1962. Shortly thereafter, he suffered a heart attack that led to a lifelong commitment to physical fitness which kept him going to the gym regularly until just a few months ago.

While at Ohio Edison, he enrolled at The University of Akron and became a first-generation college graduate in 1974, earning his associate degree in applied science while majoring in real estate.

After retirement, he and Phyllis left Akron for Arizona and never looked back. They did visit annually, until 2013. In Rio Verde, they developed a core group of friends and maintained contact with them even as many moved to Fountain View Village in their later years.

They loved being a host family to students who came to Rio Verde to play in the annual women’s intercollegiate golf tournament. They also spent many years helping, financially and physically, to build homes with Habitat for Humanity. Their generosity knew no bounds; when it came to supporting family, friends, charities or the scholarship programs they established at many schools.

George was a “dyed in the wool” Cleveland Browns fan since 1946, beginning by going to their annual games in the Akron Rubber Bowl. Many years later, he didn’t miss many Sundays in the Rio Verde pub watching the Browns on TV. He truly loved all Cleveland and Ohio sports teams. Even a month ago, he was making sure he’d have access to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Browns this fall.

He was an avid golfer and member of Westfield Country Club in Ohio for many years and, later, Rio Verde Country Club in Arizona. He finally hung up his spikes eight years ago, when he couldn’t “hit the ball out of his shadow” and donated his clubs to Rio Verde so an up-and-coming golfer had an opportunity to develop a love for the game.

George will always be remembered for his chivalrous nature and how he catered to Phyllis’ every need, his sense of humor, his infectious laugh, and how he always had a smile on his face. He was a true inspiration to others in so many ways.

George was preceded in death by his aforementioned parents, his wife, Phyllis, who passed in 2021 just three weeks shy of their 60th anniversary; sister, Catherine Vance; and nephew, George Vance. He is survived by his brother, Milo (Mary Lou) Chelovitz; nephews, Stephan (Kate) Vance, Eric (Sheryl) Chelovitz, Christopher (Annie Laurie) Chelovitz, and George (Christine Covell) Rodway; and nieces, Yana (Bradley) Dumbauld, Jane (Bob-deceased) Webb, Karen (Bob) Moore, Cyndie Wright, Jeannette (Buzz) Patterson; other nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many friends, especially Tom and Kathy Idczak, who have been helping day-to-day with all his and Phyllis’s needs over recent years.

The family will be honoring George’s final wishes and there will be no memorial service. May his memory be eternal!

Those wishing to honor his memory may make a donation in his name to the scholarship that he and Phyllis established at The University of Akron to support students with financial need. To give online, visit uakron.edu/give and choose the George and Phyllis Chelovitz Scholarship from the drop-down menu. Checks made payable to the UA Foundation with Chelovitz written on the memo line may be mailed to: Dept of Development, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-2603.